BREAKING NEWS: Two Women Hang Themselves to Death in One Day at IIT Madras Campus

IIT Madras tragically witnesses two accounts of suicides on 13th July 2016

A shocking day for students and faculty, alike, at Indian Institute of Technology Madras Campus as two women have been found dead by hanging themselves to death on Wednesday, 13th July 2016. One of the two women identified was P Maheshwari, a 34-year-old student pursuing a post-doctoral fellowship course in Chemistry at the institute. The other was a 47-year-old woman, Vijayalakshmi, who was the wife of an assistant physic’s professor employed at IIT Madras.

The Police reports that Maheshwari, who resided in Sabarmati Hostel, room number 814, was found by others in the hostel hanging in her room in the evening, around 5pm.

Vijayalakshmi, a native of Puducherry, lived with her husband in the Warden quarters, which are inside the campus. The married couple also has a 6-year-old son, who lived with them. Resources say that she had already been spotted hanging at the time when the news of Maheshwari’s suicide was broke and spread around the campus.

In regards to Maheshwari’s death IIT Madras expresses their deep sorrow stating “The Institute extends its deep felt condolences to the family and the near and dear ones of the scholar for the unfortunate, untimely and devastating loss.” They have informed Maheshwari’s family of her death and have announced that they will be cooperating with the police, to their full extent.

The police have been taking keen measures and have registered both the suicides under section 174 of CrPC, as suspicious case of death. They suspect that the cause of suicide in both cases are related to “family issues”. Bodies of the deceased had been sent for autopsy at the Government Royapettah Hospital, later yesterday. The exact reasons for both the victim’s death are yet to be confirmed.

Similarly, IIT Madras had also witnessed suicide cases of two other students last year in September and October.